Page 15 of Bumping into You
“Gwen,” says Bradley, “this is my . . . uh, fiancée.”
His WHAT?!My ears ring. I can’t be hearing him correctly. It’s not possible. Not after we’d been together for years. It doesn’t make sense. How is he engaged to someone else when we haven’t even been broken up a year? The blood drains from my face. I feel panicked.
“It’s so nice to put a face to the name,” says the fiancée, offering me a smile. “I’ve heard a lot about you.” She is showing way more skin than I’d ever feel comfortable showing, practically walking around in just her swimsuit, not a care in the world. Who is this person? And how did she end up engaged to Bradley so soon after our breakup?
“What about you?” asks Bradley. “Here with anyone?”
“Of course,” I say. I can’t let Bradley think that he was right—that I’m too much of a workaholic to be in a relationship. He can’t think that he’s the only one who has moved on from our relationship. “I’m here with my boyfriend,” I blurt.
“Well, I’m happy for you,” says Bradley.
“Thank you,” I say. “We’re very happy together.”
“We’d love to meet him,” says the fiancée. “Maybe we could get drinks together sometime?”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” says Bradley.
Sensing how uncomfortable it makes Bradley to talk about me being in a relationship, I push it a step further. “We’d love to,” I say.
“Great!” says Tammy.
What have I done? Where am I going to get a boyfriend on this cruise? Now, I’m just going to look even more pathetic to Bradley when he finds out the truth. I look around trying to find some escape out of the hole I just dug for myself.
And then, across the bar, I lock eyes with McHottie.
I don’t even think. I jump up from my seat and walk over to Niall. Grabbing his arm, I say in a sharp whisper, “Come with me. I need your help with something.”
“What?” Niall says. “Is everything okay?”
“Sort of. I just need your help.” I’m practically begging him with my eyes. To my utter surprise, he puts his half-finished drink on the bar and stands.
“Okay,” he says.
I jump slightly at how quickly he stood. I’m shocked again, but this time by his willingness to help me after the tongue-lashing I’d given him in Duke’s Diner. When I return to my place at the bar, I don’t hesitate before saying to Bradley, “This is my boyfriend, Niall.”
Niall blinks twice then leans in and plants a quick peck on my cheek, jumping right in on my little charade.Well, that was unexpected.
“I was looking for you,mo ghrá,” Niall says.
My what? What did he say? I don’t care. I’m just so thankful he’s playing along that I could cry. The shock on Bradley’s face after he takes in Niall makes the risk I took worth it.
I reach over and take Niall’s hand in mine; my body zings from the contact. Electricity shoots through me, making me come alive. I glance quickly down at our hands and then back up intohis eyes. I know mine are full of relief but his convey something different that I can’t quite place.
“Well, that’s great to hear,” says Bradley. Bradley and Niall are about the same height, but Niall’s dark hair contrasts with Bradley’s blonde hair. And Niall is much broader in the shoulders. And his arms, wow, his arms! I could definitely . . .Snap out of it, Gwen!
“Niall, this is Bradley and his fiancée,” I say, adding emphasis onfiancéebecause I still can’t wrap my head around it.
Niall reaches out his free hand to greet them. “Nice to meet you. You’re an old friend of my girl, then?”
Shock courses through me. He’s playing along flawlessly. He’s not going to make me look like a fool in front of Bradley.
Niall’s blasé comment catches Bradley off guard. He responds, “Surely she’s told you about me before?”
Niall shrugs, like he hasn’t a care in the world who this man is. “’Fraid not. Sorry, should she have?”
“I just thought . . . that after two years together—”
“Is that an Irish accent?” asks the fiancée, butting in. “Are you Irish?”
